Amir Afshar
He
claims to have been born about 1825, but 1845 is more probably, son of Hasan
Ali Khan Afshar. Has one surviving son, Sardar Fatih Khan Afshar. Has one
surviving son, Sardar Fatih (Ali Asghar Khan), of no calibre and addicted to
opium, son-in-law to Muzaiyin-us-Sultan in Tehran with whom he is on bad terms.
Amir Afshar lives at Karasf 25 miles south-west of Sultania and 40 miles south
of Zinjan, owns about 70 villages between Abahar and Jarrus, i.e., in southern Khamseh and
surrounding districts and is the most powerful Khan in that province. His only
rival is the Sardar Asad-ud-Dauleh, the land-owner of northern Khamseh, who
however is no match for him. He is the chief of the branch f the Afshar tribe
in Khamseh, but does not control the Afshars of Sain Qaleh of the Afshars
further south in Kharagan. It is Amir Afshar who has made his branch of Afshar
tribe well known and not vice versa.
Amir Afshar is said to have intrigued with the Turks in 1915-16, got into trouble
with the Russians, and fled to Baghdad, where he was at the time of the British
occupation. In March 1918 he returned to Zinjan under our auspices and was
Governor for a year, but his performances fell short of his promises of
assistance to General Dunsterville against the Turks. Since the defeat of the
Turks he has professed friendship with us, but in 1919 was believed to be in
secret correspondence with Jangalis. He was summoned to Tehran by
Vusuq-ud-Dauleh, with whom he was on bad terms, in the spring of 1920, but
afterwards again he became Governor at Khamseh, where his feudal power is so
strong that the position of any Governor is rendered impossible. The Tehran
Government is too weak to enforce authority and the Amir’s influence is
required to coerce the lawless Turk population and to prevent an outbreak of
anarchy as in Khalkhal. Amir Afshar claims to be able to muster 5,000 armed
men, but an estimate of about 1,000 foot and 600 sowars is probably near the
mark. As chief of the Afshar “sowars” he polices the Kasvin-Tabriz road from
Qurveh to Jamalabad. He is an uneducated self-made man who as acquired his
position by his own ability and personality at the expense of his neighbours.
He robs Peter to pay Paul and has a reputation for generosity and also for
vindictiveness. Despite his advanced age and opium eating, his faculties and
strong will are unimpaired and he is a skilful intriguer with a predilection
for benevolent neutrality until the time comes to back the winner. He is
friendly with Amir Ashayir.
Who's Who in Persia (Volume II). Simla:
Superintendent, Government Central Press, 1923, pp. 44―45.
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